RASP Announces Extension of Delta Air Lines Nonstop Service From PIT to Paris

RASP ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF DELTA AIR LINES NONSTOP SERVICE FROM PITTSBURGH TO PARIS

PITTSBURGH. PA (July 7, 2011) – The Regional Air Service Partnership, consisting of Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Allegheny County Airport Authority, today announced that Delta Air Lines will be extending its nonstop air service between Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CGD) into 2012.

The flight will continue through Oct. 28, and will return in March 2012. The flight will be suspended for the winter, when demand for travel slows. Delta began the service in June 2009 backed by an innovative public-private partnership of the Allegheny Conference and the State of Pennsylvania to guarantee Delta's initial investment if the flight did not perform as expected. That agreement expired on June 2 of this year.

“The leadership of RASP put together a public-private partnership that attracted Delta's interest and made this flight possible. The nonstop flight to Paris has opened the door to exciting opportunities for commerce, tourism and other development. Delta’s decision to extend international service from Pittsburgh is thrilling and a testimony to the region’s growing position in the global economy,” stated Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato.

“This is our opportunity to thank Delta Air Lines for their commitment to continue this route, particularly at a challenging time in the economy. Pittsburgh travelers have earned this flight by supporting Delta with their business, not only on flights to Paris but to destinations worldwide. The capabilities and capacity here at Pittsburgh International Airport have also helped keep international service a reality in Pittsburgh. We need to thank the community for supporting this flight and we ask for travelers to continue choosing it!” said Allegheny County Airport Authority Board Chairman Glenn R. Mahone.

“Nonstop air service to Europe from Pittsburgh provides businesses, here and abroad, with the access that truly supports a global business center, which is exactly what Pittsburgh is. The extended schedule for Delta’s flight from Pittsburgh to Paris will give the region the lift—quite literally—that it needed for continued expedient, hassle-free international access. Being able to touchdown in Paris, which is a gateway to Europe and beyond, or Pittsburgh without additional connections at congested East Coast hubs, is a significant time and money saver for those conducting global business,” said Pittsburgh Regional Alliance President Dewitt Peart.

Currently, PIT-CDG service is daily through the end of August; and will operate four days a week until October 28, when Delta will suspend and/or reduce service on a number of its transatlantic flights for the winter season. The Pittsburgh-Paris service will restart March 24, 2012 with flights four days per week.

The flight has realized important results worth noting. It has truly proven to be The Gateway to the World, due to Delta’s reach as the world’s largest airline, and its partner, Air France. About 70 percent of those on the flight connected to other cities in Europe, the Middle East, India, and elsewhere from Paris (CDG). Passengers traveled in more than 240 unique markets. Top ten destinations for passengers on the flight are: Paris, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Rome, Dusseldorf, Beirut, Berlin, Venice, and Barcelona.